Reports: Craig Leen’s Appointment As OFCCP Director Remains Uncertain

Article By:

Alex C Weinstein

As we previously reported, various media outlets reported earlier this month that Coral Gables City Attorney, Craig Leen, would be appointed Director of the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”). These reports came amid silence by the Trump administration as to the anticipated appointment.

Since our last post, the confusion over Mr. Leen’s role in the Trump administration has only grown as there has still been no official announcement of Mr. Leen’s appointment. On November 27, 2017, Bloomberg reported that the OFCCP stated that Mr. Leen was working for OFCCP as a “senior advisor.” No additional details were released regarding his role.

The OFCCP has now been without a Director for thirteen months. Some have speculated that the difficulty in finding an OFCCP Director may be tied to the efforts to merge the OFCCP into the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and/or to cut its budget substantially. Regardless of the reasoning for the delay, the absence of an OFCCP Director leaves the government contracting community with little guidance regarding the future of the OFCCP’s enforcement efforts and compliance priorities.